“Now that I’ve owned and used an iPhone 6 Plus for just over five months,” Jim Tanous writes for TekRevue, “it’s clear that Apple made two notable and, for me, frustrating mistakes with the design of its larger phone. While one of these mistakes will require a hardware refresh to rectify, at least one of them can be addressed via a software update.”
“Mistake 1: Lock button directly opposite the volume buttons. I don’t take issue with Apple’s decision to move the lock button to the side of the iPhone, but I’m now convinced that the company moved it to the absolutely worst position they could have chosen. As it stands, the lock button sits perfectly opposite the ‘volume up’ button located on the left side of the phone,” Tanous writes. “This creates a nice visual design that I’m sure Jony Ive is proud of, but it makes for terrible usability… More than half of the times I attempt to lock my iPhone, I get inadvertent volume changes. It works the other way, too, with attempts to raise the volume far too frequently resulting in unintentional triggering of the lock or sleep function.”
MacDailyNews Take: Agreed.
“Mistake 2: No independent rotation lock for iPhone 6 Plus home screen,” Tanous writes. “One of the few differences between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is that the home screen of the latter device can rotate into a landscape orientation. Some users may prefer the look of this mode, and there are some unique features associated with it, but there’s no way to lock or disable home screen rotation on its own. You’re only able to lock screen rotation system-wide, or not at all.”
Read more in the full article here.
Well, the good news is that in iOS 8.3, the iPhone 6 Plus doesn’t rotate upside down. This helps. I still don’t like the landscape home screen and find myself seeing it unintentionally more often than I’d like.
The lock button drives me crazy.
Put it back on top.
This has driven me crazy since day 1
I take pics using the volume buttons as shutter buttons. The power button layout is a daily nuisance. At least half the time I turn off the phone trying to snap a picture.
At the risk of “me too”… me too. I get a bit frustrated with it because after years of using the iPhone, I was accustomed to bracing a finger or thumb on the opposite side of the phone to give me the leverage I need to push the button firmly. Of course now, it ends up doing something I don’t want. I love the iPhone 6 Plus (the buggy iOS 8 not withstanding). But the button was placed wrong and should have stayed on the top. I see no advantage to it being where they put it after people had YEARS of habits formed. Ive is a genius, but he hates users and how they actually interact with the hardware and software he designs. Jobs had a reputation for being the tastemaker who arbitrarily decided what was “good” and what was “crap”. But now it’s Ive and I find myself liking it less and less.
it’s ridiculous. Someone even posted something somewhere about how, when you press both volume up and the lock button at the same time, nothing happens, as an example of how Apple pays attention to the little things.
Here’s an example of how they could have done that. They could have not put the lock button directly opposite the volume up button.
I TOTALLY agree! This is INSANE! Did no one use this thing before it came out? Look, I am a TOTAL Apple Fanboy- have been since 1985. But this is one of the WORST mistakes they’ve made in a LONG time.
Not only that, but the power button ruined my ability to use the iPhone as a level. Ok, so I didn’t use that feature so much, but I have used it in the past (more than you would think).
Yes, it’s aesthetic on the side, but it’s not functional and, at least for the iPhone 6, it should be on the top. REALLY too bad. They need another solution for this…
Can’t you just put the top or bottom on the surface and still use it as a level? I’m not a big fan of the change, but I don’t think it gets rid of the ability to use it as a level.
Very bad indeed. So, to be able to use the iPhone 6(+) for angle measurements I need a bumper or case that lifts the back so the protruding camera doesn’t touch the surface I want to measure and the side buttons should be recessed in it for the same reason. A bumper will have to be metal or carbon fibre, otherwise it will deform due to its size and thus ruin any measurements.
Apparently nobody tested this configuration fully or nobody dared mention this glaring problem. Both are bad, but the latter is the worst. I hope I am mistaken.
But it is not the only design problem. The same goes for the already extensively covered UI grayness psychosis Apple is in right now.
I hope they can pull themselves out of this swamp. First they’ll have to realise they are in one though……
Agreed.
Agreed. Hate the non-toppery of that button. Rare design fail from the Ivester.
It is truly astounding that Jony Ive’s team, who gets so many minute details perfect, missed the power button SO badly. It seems like playing with a prototype for a day would demonstrate the failure of its new position.
I understand on a plus it might be difficult to apply pressure to the bottom of the phone while pressing down a top mounted power button; however, the regular 6 should have left it where it has been from the beginning.
Even worse, is trying to take a photo using the volume button in landscape mode. When I squeeze the top button(volume), my thumb on the underside of the phone hits the off button and you have to reopen everything. Very embarrassing when someone else is taking a photo for you.
Please move this Apple.
I don’t understand the sleep button problem. How do people hold it? My 4 fingers are below the volume buttons and my thumb is right St the sleep button. Perfect IMO. Plus just press the sleep button. Don’t squeeze your hand like it’s a hack sack. I just don’t get this one. And for changing the volume my thumb then is above the sleep button if slide my finger up to change volume. Guess I’m just lucky.
Most people hold the phone in their left hand, with the thumb on volume and ‘four fingers’ on sleep. Either way, whichever of the two sides you want to operate, it is more than likely that you’ll be pressing your finger on one side against the finger on the other side, pressing both buttons either in succession or at the same time.
It is an unfortunate layout in need of an elegant solution. I’m sure 6s (or 7) will resolve it.
You’re holding it wrong.
Made me laugh. I disagree, but made me laugh. Miss you Steve.
Annoying, but not a deal breaker. Here’s to fixing it on the 6s.
I doubt you’ll see it change on the 6s. The “s” models don’t change physical shape, even if internals change a bit like a new processor.
There’s no harm in holding on to a dream.
Fully agree. Every time I take the iPhone 6 from the car cradle I hit those stupidly placed buttons. Didn’t have this problem with 5 and 5s or the earlier models.
Mistake # 3: No split-screen keyboard in landscape mode.
The current keyboard layout in landscape sucks on the iPhone 6 Plus. The important keys are in the middle while the less used keys are on the sides, it should be the reverse. The Plus desperately needs a split-screen keyboard to facilitate fast thumb typing in landscape mode.
I didn’t like how the author apologized as “first world problems” in making his observations. It is the right, even the responsibility, of the consumer to demand better. Look how long it took us to get a right-click fer chrissakes.
I hope we can survive these mistakes.
I heard orders for Motorola Star Tac phones have jumped due to this problem . . . ./s
Mistake #1 – Not making enough of them. Although, I’m not sure this was possible.
A distant #2… would be the lock button. I’ve accidentally hit it a few times, and would prefer it back on top.
Everything else is perfection.
No surprise. This is from the same company that after 6 iPad generations still puts the headphone jack in the worst place possible when holding an iPad in landscape mode. Anyone who’s tried to play a game in landscape on their iPad while also using headphones knows this. Or even just holding it in landscape while using headphones is frustrating. The headphone plug is always in the way ! Unbelievable..
You can disable the home screen rotation without locking the whole phone by enabling “Zoomed” mode in Display View in the Display and Brightness setting panel.
Mistake 2: Fixed
Agreed on the two issues, plus a related one:
Now that the home screen can work in landscape, how about adding the option to LOCK orientation into landscape mode, as has always been possible with the ipad but never available for the iPhone.
It would be very useful IMO
I recall being called a “troll” when pointing out how stupidly placed the iPhone 6 power button is. Thanks, friends, for finally becoming brave enough to criticize such boneheaded Apple mistakes in public.
I cannot disagree with this post more. Apparently I’m in the minority here, but I so much prefer the sleep button on the side. It just makes so much sense than having it on the top for a phone of this size. I can’t believe the multitude of people on this site proclaiming to have problems with the placement. Hate to say it, but it is a smartphone, not a level. I can understand the frustration, but I just cannot see Apple making a design decision based on the fact that it’s going to limit or hinder a particular app. Especially when that app has a limited overall user base.
I cannot believe the author made apparently NO attempt to search for a fix for the home screen rotation issue reported. I had to search the net to figure out how to get it to rotate. A quick search and I was done. How do you do ZERO investigating when writing an article?
I love my iPhone 6 Plus. It has far exceeded any experiences I’ve had with previous android devices. The only thing that they got wrong, in my opinion, is the software. How is it I can tap on my screen and get no response from the link, app etc? I have too many iOS devices that have the same issue to say that it’s an abberation. I would say that I’d like to see the 3.5mm jack put back on the top of the phone instead of the bottom. I’m not sure why everyone was elated when they did this. I hate it. It makes zero sense to me.
> it is a smartphone, not a level
It’s the ultimate Portable Digital Assistant, which has a phone function. You would be amazed how many people also use it as a level in education, construction etc. With the 6 series that is a bumper case away.
> the 3.5mm jack put back on the top
At least the present location insures that the earphone plug/cable attachment lasts a bit longer.
I love my 6+. I disagree with this article and the supporting comments.